Fabric-winding machine



y 1962 H. SCHELLENBERG 3,044,726

FABRIC-WINDING MACHINE Filed March 18, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 321 Vvvv/W I Henri 5 cHELLENB July 17, 196 H. SCHELLENBERG FABRIC-WINDING ZMACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed March 18, 1960 Hmr cHEH-ENBERG- A H "Y y 17, 1962 H. SCHELLENBERG 3,044,726

FABRIC-WINDING IMACHINE Filed March 18, 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 y 1962 H. SCHELLENBERG 3,044,726

FABRIC-WINDING'MACHINE Filed March l8. 1960 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 y v lu'v:

Hg rf khflm? United btates Fatent 3,044,726 FABRIC-WENDENG MACHMJE Henri Schellenberg, Mulhouse, France, assignor, by

mesne assignments, to Societe Alsacienne de Constructions Mecaniques, Madhouse, France, a French body corporate Filed Mar. 18, 1960, Ser. No. 15,979 Claims priority, application France Mar. 19, 1959 Claims. (til. 242-56) The present invention relates to machines for winding continuously fed fabric onto successive mandrels, every one or" which has wound thereon as a log or roll a certain length of fabric, the continuous web of fabric being transversely severed at each change of roll.

There exists already a type of machine comprising on either side of a frame two winding rollers having continuous rotation imparted thereto; the bare mandrels are laid one after the other on one of the rollers, and when the roll has almost reached the desired diameter, it is pushed onto the other drive roller at the other side of the frame and, at the completion of the winding operation, a cutting means severs the web of fabric which is to be wound on a new bare mandrel laid on the first roller, while the completed roll is removed from the machine. Since each roll is laid during the winding of the fabric thereon on one and thereafter on a second roller, the diameters of the obtained rolls are relatively small.

Various improvements have been brought to this type of machine but without overcoming the aforesaid drawback.

The object of the present invention lies in the provision of an improved machine capable of winding fabric to rolls of any desired diameters, said machine enabling the rolls to be changed without stopping the machine (dryer, tenter, etc.) arranged before the former in the manufacturing line.

This improved machine is essentially characterised in that it comprises in combination: two drive rollers arranged as known per se on either side of the frame and against either of which can be applied in turn a mandrel adapted to receive a roll, which mandrel is supported so as to be progressively withdrawable from said roller as the winding proceeds; a guide means for the fabric web, alternately movable in a transverse direction with respect to said frame between two limit positions which correspond to the fabric winding on one or the other side of the frame respectively; a cutting means movable between an inoperative and on operative position; and a locking means, combined with said guide means to lock the cuting means in its inoperative position, when the guide means is effecting its oscillating motion, but to release it a short time before the completion of said oscillation to enable the fabric to be severed between the completed roll and the bare mandrel on which the winding is to be started.

According to one specific embodiment, the frame has secured thereon an upwardly convex wall, extendin up to a'location above the drive rollers and disposed immediately beneath the area swept by the guide means when the latter is moved in order to support the portion of the fabric web comprised between the completed roll and the guide when moved toward the bare mandrel, said wall having an aperture formed therein through which projects the cutting means, when in operative position, to sever the said portion of the web.

Further features will become apparent from the ensuing description, when read in connection with the accompanying drawings, given merely by way of example and in which:

.FIG. 1 is a side-elevational diagrammatic view of a machine constructed in accordance with the invention,

seams" shown at the stage corresponding to the end of the winding step of one portion of a fabric web, in the shape of a roll, onto a mandrel arranged on the right side of the frame;

FIG. 2 is a vertical part-sectional view taken through the cutting means thereof and the clutching mechanism with the oscillating member, this section being taken on the line 2-2 of FIG. 1 but drawn on a bigger scale than the latter;

FIGS. 3 and 4' are cross-sectional views taken on the lines 33 and 44, respectively, of FIG. 2;

FIGS. 5 to 8 are diagrammatic side-elevational views, drawn on a smaller scale than FIG. 1 and showing the machine at different stages of the operational cycle thereof, and

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary front elevation of the machine.

In accordance with the illustrated embodiment, the machine comprises a frame consisting of two parallel sideplates or checks 1, one of which only can be seen in the various figures. I Thisframe has arranged on either side thereof two drive rollers 2 and 2 rotatably mounted by means of their journals 3 in bearings 4. These rollers have rotation imparted thereto in the respective directions shown by the arrows f and f either by'the machine arranged before the present machine in the manufacturing line or by a motor common to both rollers and with which are clutched in alternance one and then the second roller, or still by an individual driving motor having the necessary clutch means associated therewith.

Each of the rollers 2, 2 is adapted to frictionally drive, first one bare mandrel 5 or 5' which can be made of wood, a metal or any other suitable material, and thereafter, a roll such as R, obtained by the winding onto said mandrel of a length of a fabric web T, continuously supplied from the preceding machine and fed to the machine of the invention between two fixed guide rollers 6 and 7, which may or may not constitute a component part thereof.

It will be appreciated that each mandrel 5 or 5 is journalled at each extremity at 8 in-a bearing 9. This bearing is horizontally translidable, in a known manner, by means of a rack 11 which constitutes a carriage and supports said bearing. A means such as a counterweight 12, suspended on a cable 13 which passes on a sheave 14 and is secured at 15 to said rack 11, provides a pressure contact sufiicient to effect the drive between the drive roller 2 or 2 and the mandrel 5 or 5 and subsequently the roll R (as it is formed on the mandrel).

There is a rack 11, with its associated elements (bearings 8, 9 and weight 12) on each side of the machine to support mandrels 5 or 5*. But a rack 11 and its associated parts are placed on one side of the machine only when the winding is to start on the mandrel which said rack supports. Thus the rack 11 and associated parts for mandrel 5, which is the mandrel shown in operation on FIG. 1, are illustrated in full lines; the rack 11 and its associated parts relating to mandrel 5 which is not in operation, are shown in broken lines.

A fixed wall such as 16, made of sheet-iron and having an. upwardly convex cylindrical shape, overlaps the frame 1 and extends above the drive rollers 2 and 2, without interfering, however, with the possibilities of engagement of each of said rollers with the mandrel 5 or 5 and subsequently with the roll R. This wall 16 has a 7 Patented July 17, 1962 and by means of a pair of trunnions 18, an oscillating beam comprised by two twin lever members 19. At the free ends thereof, these levers 19 are provided with pins 29. These pins or shafts 2% have loosely mounted thereon, adjacent the levers 1?, two parallel brackets 2?. having idly mounted therein by the trunnions 22 thereof, two guide rollers (or cylinders) 23 and 24 slightly spaced from each other, such that the fabric web T to be wound can freely pass therebetween. These rollers are so mounted that they act as spacers for the levers 19.

When the beam is rocked from its position 1? to the symmetrical position 1%, the rollers are shifted from their original position 2324 to the symmetrical position 23 -24 shown in dash-dotted lines in FIG. 1, and owing to the free oscillation or rocking of the units comprised by said rollers and their brackets 21 about the spacer pin 20, said rollers can be well applied against the bare mandrel or 5 (see FIG. 8) and subsequently against the corresponding roll R.

In order to transversely sever the fabric web T when the winding on one mandrel 5 (or 5*) is completed and before it is resumed on a second mandrel located on the other side of the frame at 5 (or 5), a cutting means is provided in the median plane of symmetry YY of the machine (FIG. 1), said means being shown on an enlarged scale in FIGS. 2, 3 and 4.

This cutting means comprises a blade-carrier cylinder 25, the journals 26 of which can be rotated about the horizontal axis Z--Z, which is parallel to the axis X-X and is located as the latter in the plane of symmetry YY, in bearings 27 (FIG. 2) carried by the frame 1. The cylinder 25 carries two blades 28 and 28 the cutting edges of which are preferably very finely toothed. These two blades 28 and 23 are not diametrically opposed to each other but form therebetween an angle a (FIG. 4) lower 180, to thus provide an unbalance ensuring the automatic return of the blade-carrier cylinder to the position illustrated in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, when said cylinder is unstressed.

The cylindrical surface of the blade-carrier 25 has very fine ridges or similar projections 29 formed thereon, so that it is capable of being rotated without slip by the fabric, in the manner described hereinafter.

Finally, the blade-carrier 25 has formed therein an aperture 30 (FIGS. 2 and 3) adapted to receive the frustoconical extremity 31 of a locking bolt or detent 32 capable of immobilising the blade-carrier 25 in the position shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the blades being retracted below the wall member 16, when the beam 19 oscillating about the axis of the trunnions 18, through the central part of its oscillation, comprised approximately between the radial directions X11 and X0 (FIG. 1), the blade-carrier cylinder 25 being conversely free during the last portions of the aforesaid oscillating run of the beam 19, i.e. between X0 and Xp and between X12 and Xm.

The detent 32 is slidably mounted in a guide member 33 fixed to the frame 1 and is returned to its locking position by means of a spring 34 bearing against a shoulder 35 of the detent and on a plug 36.

The detent is extended through said plug as a rod which is threaded at 37, to enable a stop plate 39 to be secured in position by means of nuts 38. This plate is adapted to co-operate with a pin of a crank 40, keyed on a trunnion 41 rotatably mounted by means of a bearing 42 in the frame 1. This trunnion or journal 41 is connected through a sprocket 43, a chain 44 and a second sprocket 45 (FIG. 1) or by any equivalent means, to one of the trunnions 18 of the beam 19. The wedging of the crank 40 is such that the pin thereof bears downwardly onto the top of plate 39 to retract the detent 32 exteriorly of the opening 30 of the blade-carrier 25, when the beam is nearing the ends of its travels (in the portions mn or 0p of the path mrzop or at its travel ends at Xm or Xp).

The operation of the machine is as follows: In FIG. 1 is shown the position corresponding to the ultimate stage of the winding step of a length of fabric T supplied as a continuous web, to form the roll R on the mandrel 5 located at the right-hand side of the machine.

A new mandrel is placed at 5 (FIG. 5) against the drive roller 2 as shown in FIG. 5.

Then the operator effects the rocking of the beam 19 from the position shown in full lines in FIG. 1 to the other limit position thereof 1% shown in dot-dash lines in FIG. 1 and in full lines in FIG. 8, the latter illustrating the last stage of the change of roll.

It is in the course of said oscillation of the beam 19 that the Wfib T will be automatically transversely severed, enabling the completed roll R to be withdrawn and the winding on the mandrel 5 to be initiated.

The successive stages of the oscillation of the beam 19 are illustrated in FIGS. 5, 6 and 7.

When the beam reaches the position 19 (FIG. 5), the guide rollers 23, 24 will have reached the respective positions 23 and 24 and the fabric T is still attached to the completed roll R along the path lacd. Let us assume that the position 19 corresponds to the direction of travel Xn of the beam (FIG. 1). Accordingly, during the passage from the position 19 to the position 19 the pin of the crank has been bearing against the plate 39 and holding the detent 32 disengaged from the aperture 30 of the blade-carrier 25.

To achieve the position illustrated in FIG. 5, the pin of crank 40 is retracted above the plate 39 and the detent 32 enters into the opening 36, the blade-carrier taking by gravity, owing to the unbalance provoked by the blades 28, 28 its inoperative or rest position.

From then on and up to the time when the beam reaches its symmetrical position (FIG. 7) corresponding to the direction of travel X0 (FIG. 1), the detent 32 prevents the blade-carrier 25 from being rotated.

Meanwhile, as the beam 19 continues to oscillate in the direction indicated by the arrow (FIG. 5), the fabric web T, which is driven or fed by the guide means comprised by both cylinders 23 and 24-, which are successively passing through the positions 23-24 and 23 -24 is inwardly flexed along the paths ba d (FIG. 6) and bc d (FIG. 7), and the portion intermediate the completed roll R and the guide 23-24 is gradually applied onto the convex wall member 16 (compare the positions of FIGS. 5, 6 and 7).

However, when the beam crosses the position X0 (FIG. 1), the crank-pin 40 comes again to bear against the plate 39 and causes very rapidly the detent 32 to be disengaged from the aperture 30, thus releasing the blade-carrier 25. As the fabric portion tensioned on the convex wall member 16 extends by then above the blade-carrier and in contact therewith, and since the guide 23--24 purses its leftward motion and pulls the fabric, the latter frictionally engages the bladecarrier and causes it to be rotated in the direction of arrow f because the fabric is moving toward the right as it is being wound on roll R (FIG. 7). Shortly afterwards, the blade 28 enters the aperture 17 of the wall 16 and, while passing above the latter, has its teeth penetrating into the tensioned fabric on said wall member and effects a rapid severing thereof. Immediately following this severing step, the blade-carrier resumes by gravity and owing to the unbalance thereof, its original inoperative or rest position.

As the web is now severed, the roll R may be withdrawn. It is sufficient to fold thereon the portion ed of the fabric, while the end of the web will slide on the lefthand portion of the wall member 16 (compare the positions 0 g and c g in FIGS. 7 and 8), until the rollers 23-24 reach the limit position 23 24 This position is such that these rollers bear against the mandrel 5 The latter is driven by the roller 2 in the direction of arrow f and causes in particular the rollers which have reached the positions 23 and 2 to be rotated in the direction of arrows f and respectively. Since the roller which is in position 23 is not in contact with the roller 2, the

fabric portion c g comes accordingly very rapidly into engagement between the drive roller 2 and the mandrel 5*. From then on, the winding of the fabric onto said mandrel 5 can be carried on normally.

The foregoing explanation of the operation of the machine can be amplified as follows: when beam 19 is brought to position 19 (FIG. 8), the travel of the fabric, which was originally bed (FIG. 5), changes to bc d (FIG. 7). In this manner, the fabric or cloth T i-s forced' to come in contact with wall 16, and is at the same time driven towards roll R on which the winding is proceeding. Therefore, the friction of the cloth on blade carrier 25 causes the latter to pivot clock-wise (FIG. 7, arrow f Under these conditions, blade 28 engages aperture 17 of wall 16 and, because it projects .beyond said wall, its teeth penetrate the cloth, tensioned on said wall, and quickly sever it.

If the cloth is thick, it has been stated supra that blade carrier 25 has very fine ridges or similar projections; its surface is rough; also the fabric moves quite rapidly (about 1 meter/second) and the friction of the fabric is sufficient to move and pivot said blade-carrier, for any thickness of the fabric. When the teeth of the blade pass beyond wall 16, they penetrate the fabric which is moving in the direction of roll R; then the fabric rotates the bladecarrier; and the combination, on the one hand of the inertia and want of balance of said blade-carrier, resulting from its construction, and on the other hand of the'cutting edge of the blades, permits to cut the fabric before blade 28 or 28* reaches a vertical position.

Assuming that beams 19 are in the position Xm (FIG. 1): in that position, the pin of crank it) bears downwards onto stop plate 35 which disengages the end 31 of bolt 32 out of recess 3d of blade-carrier 25, thus allowing the latter to oscillate freely around its axis Z-Z (FIG. 2). If the beams 19 are then moved for the purpose of winding the fabric around a mandrel 5 disposed on the other side of the machine (the left side as shown on FIG. 1), the motion of said beams is transmitted to crank 40 through elements 45, 44, 43, causing said crank 40 to pivot around trunnion f1 counter-clockwise (FIG. 1). As a result, stop plate 39, urged upwards by spring 34, begins to travel upwards, with its attached detent 32. In the portion of the travel of beams 19 comprised between the positions Xm and Xn (FIG. 1) the pivotrnent of crank 40 is not sufiicient to permit the penetration of locking end 31 inside recess 30 of blade-carrier 25. But, when beams 19 reach positions Xn (FIG. 1) or 19 (FIG. 5) the pivotment of crank 40 is then sufiicient to permit the penetration of end 31 into recess 30, and the blade car-rier is thereby immobilized in the position shown in FIGS. 1-4.

As beams 19 continue to travel around trunnions 18, towards position X0 (FIG. 1) crank 40 is moved in the same direction by its connecting elements 45, 44, 43, upwards from plate 39; the latter moves upwards; this motion is stopped by the contact of end 31 with the top of r recess 30.

When beams 19 reach position X0 (FIG; 1) crank 4t bears again onto plate 39, on the left side thereof as shown in FIG. 1, and pulls lock 32 and its end 31 out of recess 39, which leaves blade-carrier 25 free to rotate; since it is caused to rotate by friction with the moving fabric, a cutting blade 28 or 28 is moved into a position protruding out of central opening 17, beyond wall 16, and severs'the fabric.

As soon as the fabric is cut, the unbalance caused by the angular disposition of blades 28 and 28 brings blade carrier 25' back to its inoperative position, and the beams 19, which have come to theend of their travel, are in position 19 (FIGS. 1 and 8). In that position, which is symmetrical to position 19 of FIG. 1 by reference to plane Y-Y, all the elements of the cutting and locking devices are in the same position that they occupied when beams 19 were in position Xm (FIG. 1). From then on, the cycle of operations is the same as that described above, when beams 19 are moved from left to right (with 6 respect to FIG. 1) with the exception that, in that case, crank 40'is rotated clock-wise.

It will be appreciated that the disclosed machinewhicli is very simple to operate, enables fabric rolls of any'desired diameter to be readily obtained, the sole limitations being the size of the rack 11, since 'as the diameter of the fabric roll is growing, said rack moves apart and lifts thecounter-weight 12 (FIG. 1), which provides for a permanent operative engagement between the drive roller 2 (or 2 and the fabric roll being formed.

it will be understood that the invention is in no way limited by the embodiment which has been described and illustrated merely by way of an example, and that numerous changes of details can be made therein without falling outside the scope of the appended claims.

What I claim is:

1. Winding machine for winding a continuous fabric band into rolls on two mandrels, each of which is supported by support means movable towards and away from the machine, comprising in combination: a frame, a first drive roller and a second drive roller mounted on said frame and spaced from each other, an arcuate wall provided on the frame, and extending between the rollers,

- each of said support means adapted to support a mandrel adjacent the first roller and a second extreme position adjacent the second roller for causing said band to be wound selectively on one of said two mandrels; a central aperture in said arcuate wall extending substantially over the length of said frame; means for cutting off the portion of said fabric band which has been wound on one of said mandrels, said means comprising: a cylindrical bladecarrier pivotable around a horizontal axle carried bysaid frame by the moving fabric band; two cutting blades, having cutting edges, attached to and protruding from said carrier at an angle smaller than said cutting edges being adapted to protrude through said aperture beyond said arcuate wall to engage, and sever said-band; means for maintaining said blade-carrier in an inoperative, nonpivotable position and for releasing said blade-carrier. from said inoperative position into a pivotable, operative position, said last named means comprising: a recess formed in said blade-carrier, intermediate said blades and substantially equidistant from said blades; movable looking means for engagement within said recess to maintain said carrier in said inoperative position and for disengagement from said recess to permit oscillation of said carrier and said blades in their operative position; two oscillatable twin beams, each of said beams being disposed over a face of said frame; said guide means being loosely connected to one end of said beams; a trunnion supporting the other end of said beams pivotably relative to said frame; movable connecting means between said trunnion and said movable locking means, said connecting means being rotated by the pivoting of said trunnion to disengage said locking means from said recess when said beams and guide means pass over a part of their arcuate travel path situated close to one of said extreme positions, whereby said cutting means are released into their operative posi tion for cutting the fabric band.

2. Winding machine for winding a continuous fabric band into rolls on two mandrels each of which is supported by support means movable towards and away from the machine, comprising, in combination: a frame, a first drive roller and a second drive roller mounted on said frame and spaced from each other, an upwardly convex wall provided on the frame and extending between the rollers, each of said support means being adapted to support a mandrel in a position to cause said 7 band to be engaged and driven, in a tensioned condition over said wall, either between the first roller and one of said mandrels or between the second roller and another mandrel, said support means permitting the mandrels to move away from said roller as the winding of the band proceeds, band guide means capable of travelling reiative to said frame through an arcuate path above said wall between a first extreme position adjacent the first roller and a second extreme position adjacent the second roller for causing said band to be wound selectively on one of said two mandrels; a central aperture in said convex wall; cutting means for cutting off the portion of the fabric band which has been wound on one of said mandrels, said cutting means comprising: a cylindrical blade carrier pivotable around an axle carried by said frame and adapted to be pivoted by the moving fabric band; two cutting blades, having finely toothed cutting edges, attached to and protruding from said carrier and forming between themselves an angle less than 180, thereby creating an unbalance, said cutting edges being adapted to protrude through said aperture beyond said convex wall to engage and sever said band; means for maintaining said blade-carrier in its inoperative, non-pivotable position, in which said blades are both below said convex wall as the result of aforesaid unbalance, and for releasing said blade-carrier from said inoperative position into a pivotable operative position, said last named means comprising: a recess in said carrier, intermediate and equidistant from said blades; movable locking means for engagement within said recess to maintain said carrier in its inoperative position and for disengagement out of said recess to permit oscillation of said blade-carrier and blades in their operative position; said guide means being loosely connected to one end of two oscillable beams disposed over the faces of said frame; a trunnion supporting pivotably the other end of said beams; movable means connecting said trunnion with said locking means and being rotated by the pivoting of said trunnion to disengage said locking means from said recess when said beams and guide means pass over a part of their arcuate travel path situated close to one of said extreme positions and to thereby release said cutting means into their fabric cutting operative position; said cutting means, after the fabric has been cut, swinging to their inoperative position under the effect of said unbalance, said locking means then engaging said recess to locl; said cutting means in said inoperative position over the part of the travel of said beams and guide means comprised between said first mentioned parts of their areuate travel path.

3. Winding machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the blade carrier has a cylindrical rough outer surface to enhance frictional engagement between the cutting means and said band.

4. Winding machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein the guide means comprise a support oscillatably mounted on the said one end of said beams and two rollers rotatahly mounted on the support and between which said band is supplied to the mandrel on which it is being wound.

5. A winding machine as claimed in claim 2, wherein said locking means comprise: a rocker unit oscillatably mounted on said frame; a locking pin; a bottom stop plate attached to said locking pin; said rocker unit pressing down on the upper face of said stop plate when said beams are in the parts of their travel adjacent said extreme positions, to disengage said pin from said recess;

' a hollow guide member around said pin; and having a closed bottom; a shoulder on said pin inside said hollow guide member; a coil spring around said pin between said closed bottom and said shoulder; said spring urging said pin upwards into said recess when said rocker unit has oscillated away from said stop plate during the part of the travel of said beams intermediate said first mentioned parts of their travel.

References (Jited in the file of this patent UNITED ST TES PATENTS 1,787,826 Lehman Jan. 6, 1931 2,006,499 Fourness et al July 2, 1935 2,449,234 Knoble Sept. 14, 194-8 2,539,745 Keller Jan. 30, 1951 2,849,191 Gadler Aug. 26, 1958 

